Flange and rail lubricator



' p 2 1932; J. A. BODKIN FLANGE AND RAIL LUBRICATOR Filed May 18, 1929 ATTORNB Patented Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES -J'OHN- A. iaonx'm, or .nnwwonx, 1v; Y.

FLANGE A m RAIL Li BnIcA'ron Application filed Ma is, 1929. Serial No. 3 4,124.

3.0 the rail. contacting surface of the car wheel Figure 2 is an end view of my improved L lubricating device, partly in section and Figure 3 is a top planview; of "one unit'- thereof. J LReferring now to the drawingin detail tilv 5 preferably indicatesQone track of a. double track road, the said trackcomprising inner and outer track rails 6S and 7 respectively,

which are curved-as at 8. the curved port1on'S ofthe outer rail 7 is raised above the flange, so that the oil is deposited on one'c'orlevel of the curved portion on the inner ner-and side of the curvejto preventrapidm tends-to turn the train and naturally gets the wear of the rail head. v

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide in a lubricating device of the nature referred to, a;wick preferably made of wool felt and impregnated with :particles of graphite, that will be carried upwardly by the oil to be deposited on the 'wheel iflange and innermost portion ,of the wheel surface. Another object is to produce a device of the character described in which the maximum simplicity of construction and operation is secured." p

Other objects and advantagesfwill a pear as the nature'of the improvements is etterunderstood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel arrangement and co-rela- Q tiorrof parts hereinfully described, and illus- .trated in the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference characters areused to described corresponding parts throughout the several views, and then finally pointed out and specifically defined and indicated in the appended claims. 4 r

The disclosure made the basis of exemplifying the present inventive concept suggests a practical embodiment thereof, but the inventionis not to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure, and the latter, there fore, is tobe understood from. an illustrative, rather than a restrictive standpoint. 1

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety 9f mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustration, is shown in theaccompanying drawing, 1n

which Figure 1 is a top plan view'of one track of a double track roadshowing my invention as applied thereto. a

rail 6, it is this outer curved-1 portion that greatest amount of wear and therefore has to be lubricate-d to prevent excessive wear. To

accomplish this I secure to-the bed road ad:

jacent the inner edgeof the outer rail 7 a lubricating device. 9 w'iich in the present in-" stance comprises thr e closed receptacles 10- adapted to hold a quantityof lubricating oil 11, The combined "length of the three re ceptacles 10 is equal to or slightly larger than the circumference of a train wheel.

Immersed in the oil-and extending. from the bottom of the receptacle 10 to the top or head of the rail and-abutting the inner edge of the rail 7 there is a wick-12 preferably made of wool felt impregnated with suitablyprepared particles of graphite 13. The said wick is supported between upstanding lips or flanges 14 at the bottom 'of the receptacle and between similar flanges 15 and 16 at the top of themeceptacle. The wickis bevelled at both ends thereof and extends substan-' tially the entire length .of the receptacles 10.- Openings 18 in thesupporting base 19 of the receptacle provide means forsecuring same to the road bed by spikes 1911." Each recep tacle is provided with an oil intake opening 20 at the top thereof, which opening is normally closed by a screw plug 21. A like plug 22 normally closes a drain-outlet 23 at the bottom of the receptacles. While Iprefer to impregnate the wick with 'graphite,'I do not limit myself to do so, as I may usea wick not so impregnated if I so desire.'

If we assume that a train is comin in the that the flange 2-5 of'the outer wheels 26 will contact with the wick and have deposited direction ofthe'ar'row Fig. 1 it will e seen thereon a supply of oil or oil and graphite. Likewise the area on the circumference of the wheels 26 directly adjacent the flange 25 will also become coated with the lubricant v 5 and when the said wheels pass over the curved portion 8the lubricant will be transferred to the inner edge of the said curved portion and to the rounded portion 27 of the rail without spreading over the rail head.

10 From the foregoing itwill be seen that I have provided a simple and eflicient rail and flange lubricating device in which the lubricating oil is contained in a closed receptacle so that the supply of oil will not readily" evaporate or dry up or become clogged up with V undesirable foreign matter.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rail and flange lubricating device,

a normally closed lubricant container provided with a wick slot extending substantially the entire length thereof and tapered at the ends, flanges defining the edges of the wick slot, flanges at the bottom of the receptacle in line with the first mentioned flanges, and a wick tapered at each end supported between the said flanges and extending through the slot to a predetermined height for the purpose specified.

2. Incombination with a curved rail, a lubricating device therefor, comprising a plurality of lubricant containers abutting each other, adapted to be placed adjacentthe inner edge of the rail and a wick tapered at each end extending substantially the entire length of each of the receptacles immersed into the lubricant and extending to a predetermined height above the receptacle for the 40 purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN A. BODKIN. 

